I'll Never Stop Loving You
by Marrilyn
Summary: Zane is about to move and wants Rikki to go with him. To get that he needs to make her forgive him. But it's harder than it looks. Will he manage to convince her to forgive him, or will he lose her forever? A Zikki oneshot.


**This is a oneshot I promised CheddarFetta I'll do for her. I'm sorry it took so long, but here it is. I hope everyone enjoys it.**

Rikki Chadwick stood on the deck of a beautiful big boat. The sun shone brightly above her, rising the temperature with its golden rays and making the sea sparkle under its light. Rikki looked around herself, observing the wonderful nature that surrounded her. Still, the most beautiful of all – in her opinion – was the island that made her the way she was and changed her life forever.

Mako island stood proudly in the middle of the ocean; its volcanic mountain towering the jungle, beaches and the sea that surrounded it. The cave hidden within it used to be the place where Rikki went when she was sad, angry or happy. There she had fun with her friends, talked and gossiped about the latest fashion, cute boys and mean girls from school. _Used to,_ reminded Rikki herself. _It used to be so much fun. But then they came and ruined it. They ruined everything._

"Rikki, please talk to me", Zane Bennett said, snapping her out of her thoughts.

Rikki looked up at him. He was one of them as well; one of those that ruined the only place she belonged to. And she would remember it forever. She won't forget what he had done to it.

"What do you want?" she asked. That afternoon Zane had asked her to talk to him. She refused, but he was persistent more than she could take it so she agreed just to make him shut up. He took her to his dad's boat, where – in his words – they'll be able to talk in private.

"I wanted to apologize for everything I had done to you, Rikki", Zane spoke.

His voice revealed the tone of honesty he spoke with, but Rikki still had her doubts about him. He kissed Sophie just in before her eyes, and then ruined her home. _And now,_ Rikki thought, _he dares to ask for forgiveness._

For a few second there was no sound heard. Rikki was deep in her thoughts about all the bad things Zane had done to her, while Zane tried to think up the best way to make her forgive him.

"Listen", he said, breaking the uncomfortable silence, "I know that what I had done was wrong. I shouldn't have kissed Sophie. It was the worst mistake I had ever done, and it was an accident. Just a darn accident. It won't happen again, I promise." Silence again. "Please say something."

"Say what, Zane? Huh? Say what? You knew what you were doing and now you want to make it seem like a petty accident. And you know what Zane? I ain't buying it."

Rikki sighed, while Zane took a deep breath. The pictures of him kissing and hugging Sophie repeated themselves in her head. Their lips meeting, their hands touching, their mouths laughing… It seemed unreal and like something that happens only in the movies. _But this is reality,_ Rikki told herself. _He kissed her. He laughed with her. And what hurts me the most… When they kissed, he didn't even seem to be sorry. It was as if he… As if he had enjoyed it. He wasn't sorry. He was happy. Happier than he was with me._

"Please, Rikki! You know I wouldn't lie to you. I really am sorry."

Rikki eyes him. "'Sorry' isn't enough."

The moment she said it he felt as if something had broken in him. His heart started to beat faster and his body temperature heightened. This time it was her that made him angry.

"Then what can I say to make you realize I still love you?" he snapped. "What? Huh? Tell me what and I'll do it."

She opened her mouth as if to say something, but he cut her off.

"I apologize, beg for forgiveness, and still you aren't happy! Tell me what is it that I did that was so wrong it can't be forgiven?"

"You destroyed the moon pool", Rikki spoke with eerie calmness. Then, all of a sudden, her voice rose and now she was the one yelling. "You destroyed the moon pool! The only place I belonged to! Sophie thing I might forgive, but this… This is unforgivable! And not only did you destroy it, you even threatened to reveal my secret. You almost did when the moon pool thing happened!"

"I was angry… And hurt… I didn't know what I was doing", Zane said, trying to justify himself. "And I needed money. You have to understand! It was the situation I was in that made me do it."

"I don't have to understand anything", Rikki retorted. "I know about money problems. I had them too. But you didn't see my endangering mine and my friends' secret because of it."

Suddenly the boat began to move. Slowly it went further and further away from the dock. Rikki watched in shock and turned to Zane with an expression full of anger. "What the heck is going on, Zane?"

"Dad and I… We're moving", he replied and took a step toward her. "And I want you to come with me."

"What?"

"I want you to come with me and start a new life. You know, just the two of us."

Rikki frowned, realization hitting her. "So that's why you invited me to this boat? So you can kidnap me?"

"No, it's not like that." Zane took a breath. "I thought you'd forgive me and accept my offer to go away with me."

Shaking her head in disapproval, Rikki began walking to the edge of the deck, intending to jump off and run away. Zane grabbed her wrist and pulled her to him. He grabbed her other wrist and held her tight.

"I won't let you go away, Rikki. I _can't_ let you go. I need you. You are my everything. I can't imagine my life without you in it", he said. His voice sounded sad and his eyes began to water, as if he'll start to cry.

Rikki pulled her hands back, freeing herself and taking a step back from her ex-boyfriend. "Well, Zane", she said, "It seems to me that it's quite the opposite." And with that she jumped off the boat into the cool, chilly ocean. She felt the familiar tingling and in a matter of ten seconds her legs were replaced with a beautiful bronze fish tail and on her chest was a matching bikini top.

Swimming away into the endless ocean, she watched from distance as the boat with Zane on it sailed away. A single tear ran down her cheek and she swallowed hard. _I'll never forget you, Zane. I'll never forget the times we've spent together; our little fights and make ups, our sweet kisses and laughs, our swims and nights spent together. I'll never forget how soft and sweet your touch was, how gentle and kind you were to me, how you did your best not to hurt me, and how you kept my secret, even though there were times you almost – and once really managed to – exposed me. You'll be in my heart forever, Zane. I'll never stop… I'll never stop loving you._

"Good luck, Zane. I love you…" she spoke as tears fell down her cheeks and her face turned all red and puffy. "I'll never stop loving you."

Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath she submerged and swam towards the moon pool – or towards what's left of it.

**Sow as it good? I hope it was, I did my best. Criticism is welcome, but flames are not.**


End file.
